According to a 2018 study “Health, Academic Achievement and School-Based Interventions” By Thomas Matingwina, there is a statistically significant relationship between health and academic achievement.

Deconstructing the Relationship between Academic Achievement and the Health of Students

Educational institutions, health institutions, caregivers of kids, and educators share the mutual objective of ensuring that kids eat healthy meals, take part in physical fitness activities, and perform well in their academics.

Multiple studies have suggested that healthy kids are less likely to experience school and performance-related issues compared to kids who have health complications. It is kids with poor health that end up seeking the help of the best essay writing service to aid them in completing their essays.

Even though the available studies on this subject are quite limited, the existing empirical evidence points to the numerous factors in which the school setting can impact the health of students positively, thus, improving their performance in academics.

Some of these crucial factors include:

• easy access to healthy and nutritious meals
• freely accessible opportunities for taking part in physical fitness activities

Available Empirical Evidence on the Link Between Learners’ Diet and Their Performance in Academics

• The participation of students in the breakfast program for all students has impeccable positive impacts on the students’ general academics and performance in their standardised tests, enhanced cognitive development, and reduced cases of absenteeism.
• Missing breakfast is linked to the reduced performance of the cognitive faculty of the brain, such as problem-solving, paying attention, recall, being alert, and being able to process complex visual display.
• Failure to consume some foods such as vegetables, fresh fruits, or even milk products can be linked to poor scores in standardised tests and low overall academic performance.
• Lack of certain nutrients in the body such as folate, zinc, iron, vitamins A, B12, B6, and calcium can be linked to poor academic performance and increased rates of truancy among learners.
• Hunger caused by lack of eating can also be linked to poor grades, increased rates of truancy, having to repeat grades, and the lack of focus and concentration among learners.

How can learners improve their grades?

Research shows that learners who are actively engaged in physical fitness activities tend to

• get improved grades
• have better school attendance records
• have improved cognitive ability
• show better behaviour and discipline in the classroom

Conclusion

All key stakeholders in the sector of education, such as parents, caregivers, teachers, and public health officers should use the available empirical evidence and research to advocate for and rally behind nutritious and healthy feeding.

Stakeholders should also encourage a healthy lifestyle for the students. The concluded studies and other anecdotal evidences help create the right awareness and understanding about this among the key stakeholders.